Search

A Pre–deployment calibration and a field validation of two low-cost (LC) stations equipped with O3 and NO2 metal oxide sensors were addressed. Pre–deployment calibration was performed after developing and implementing a comprehensive calibration framework including several supervised learning models, such as univariate linear and non–linear algorithms, as well as multiple linear and non–linear algorithms. Univariate linear models included linear and robust regression, while univariate non–linear models included support vector machine, random forest, and gradient boosting. Multiple models consisted of both parametric and non-parametric algorithms. Internal temperature, relative humidity and gaseous interference compounds proved to be the most suitable predictors for multiple models, as they helped effectively mitigate the impact of environmental conditions and pollutant cross-sensitivity on sensor accuracy. A feature analysis, implementing Dominance analysis, feature permutations and, SHapley Additive exPlanations method, was also performed to provide further insight into the role played by each individual predictor and its impact on sensor performances. This study demonstrated that while multiple random forest (MRF) returned higher accuracy than multiple linear regression (MLR), it did not accurately represent physical models beyond the Pre–deployment calibration dataset, so that a linear approach may overall be a more suitable solution. Furthermore, as well as being less computationally demanding and generally more suitable for non-experts, parametric models such as MLR have a defined equation that also includes a few parameters, which allows easy adjustments for possible changes over time. Thus, drift correction or periodic automatable recalibration operations can be easily scheduled, which is particularly relevant for NO2 and O3 metal oxide sensors: as demonstrated in this study, they performed well with the same linear model form, but required unique parameter values due to inter-sensor variability.

One of the most disruptive aspects of recent library developments is the loss of centrality of the collections, once the heart of the 'Gutenbergian library'. An evolution of the concept of ‘collection’ and of the multiple components interacting in the communication sphere are in progress. These include content quality, market interests, regulatory aspects, the user's role and expectations; at the same time, the agents of knowledge production and the communication chain are redefining their position in an increasingly competitive climate. This paper will try to point out - on the basis of perspectives and experiences emerging from the current international debate - the evolution of the concept of collection (collection, post-collection, smart collection) highlighting the challenges and critical issues that libraries are facing, but also the welcome prospects for wide-ranging collaboration, in an effort to combine current needs, private and public interests, with responsibilities towards our heritage and the future generations.

SBN: Yesterday, Today... and Tomorrow? The article provides a hitherto unpublished account of the design and planning phase of SBN - the Italian Library Network - on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the programme. Specifically, it focuses on two aspects of the project's development: the catalogue (i.e. how the idea of a data structure based on bibliographical links was conceived) and the role played by the ‘Ravenna team’ in realizing the first node of the network. Finally, some critical considerations on the management issues and on the future of SBN are discussed.

A PAST FOR THE FUTURE: THIRTY YEARS OF SBN, the Italian Library Network. This article is the text of a talk given by the author at a conference on the thirtieth anniversary of the Italian Library Network, SBN (Servizio Bibliotecario Nazionale). With more than six thousand libraries of different types, and tens of thousands of users who search daily its online catalog of 15 million titles, SBN represents today a great achievement for the Italian library community. Strategies and critical issues of the various stages of the program development are stressed, as well the new challenges emerging from the technological and social changes of the last decade. Finally, future prospectives are outlined and discussed, taking into account the strong points of SBN and the library’s changing role in the new communication environment.

Il testo di questo articolo è stato letto dall'autore in occasione della presentazione del libro "Le Biblioteche di Luigi Crocetti, saggi, recensioni, paperoles". 2014. A cura di Laura Desideri e Alberto Petrucciani. Roma: Associazione Italiana Biblioteche.Luigi Crocetti (scomparso nel 2007) è stata una delle personalità più eminenti della biblioteconomia italiana negli ultimi cinquant'anni, durante i quali ha ricoperto importanti cariche quali: direttore del lavoratorio di restauro della Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze, dopo l'alluvione dell'Arno nel 1966; direttore del Dipartimento Archivi e Biblioteche della Regione Toscana; presidente dell'Associazioene Italiana Biblioteche, direttore del Gabinetto G.P. Viesseux.Crocetti è stato inoltre coinvolto in progetti ed iniziative sviluppatisi in Italia nel corso della sua carriera professionale: l'edizione italiana della CDD 20, il progetto SBN, la rivista Biblioteche Oggi, di cui fu editor, e altre collaborazioni editoriali. I numerosi scritti di Luigi Crocetti, pubblicati nel corso della sua vita professionale, registrano puntualmente l'evoluzione delle biblioteche e della professione bibliotecaria in un periodo di cambiamenti tecnologici, culturali e sociali. Ciò nondimeno, gli scritti di Crocetti non sono solo la registrazione storica di un osservatore perspicace e impegnato; essi costituiscono anche una raccolta di riflessioni profonde e di suggerimenti per incoraggiare la discussione sul ruolo delle biblioteche e della cultura nella società. Dotato di erudizione non comune, Crocetti mostra una capacità straordinaria di interpretare la realtà attuale e di guardare al futuro con lungimiranza. I suoi scritti toccano tutti gli aspetti della professione, dalla conservazione e restauro del materiale librario alle biblioteche pubbliche, dalla catalogazione e indicizzazione alla cooperazione bibliotecaria, dalle biblioteche nazionali agli archivi, ai musei, fino ai servizi all'utente. E' chiaro che Crocetti si rivolge a un pubblico ampio, non limitato ai bibliotecari, ma aperto invece a politici, manager, intellettuali e chiunque abbia un interesse nelle biblioteche; in un'analisi conclusiva si rivolge a tutti i cittadini, nella convinzione che "la cultura è per tutti" e che "le biblioteche, per loro natura, devono essere immerse nel ciclo culturale". Innovazione e rinnovamento della mentalità professionale sono temi ricorrenti negli scritti di Crocetti. L'autore - consapevole del dibattito internazionale e attento alle innovazioni tecnologiche - identifica uno dei punti deboli della biblioteconomia italiana nella progressiva perdita di contatto tra le biblioteche e la tradizione culturale. "La biblioteconomia italiana - fa notare amaramente Crocetti - è ricca nei fasti passati e povera in tradizione". Il tema è controverso, come molti altri (troppo spesso ignorati dal dibattito professionale) sottolineati da Crocetti nei sui scritti con chiarezza ed equilibrio, da intellettuale quale egli era, capace di essere superiore al mero interesse di settore, e capace allo stesso tempo di rappresentare l'aspirazione al rinnovamento della professione bibliotecaria nella dimensione globale dei nostri tempi. This article is the text read at the presentation of the book Le Biblioteche di Luigi Crocetti, saggi, recensioni, paperoles (The Libraries of Luigi Crocetti, essays, reviews, paperoles), AIB, 2014, edited by Laura Desideri and Alberto Petrucciani.Luigi Crocetti (died in 2007) was one of the most eminent personalities in the Italian library world of the last fifty years. Some of the most significant milestones of his career are: Director of the Laboratory of Restoration at The National Central Library in Florence, after the flood of the Arno river in 1966; Director of the Library and Archives Department of the Tuscany regional government; President of the Italian Library Association (AIB), Director of the Gabinetto G.P. Vieusseux. Crocetti was also leader of, or influential partner in, the major projects and programs developed in Italy during his professional life, including: the DDC 20 Italian Edition, the project SBN (the Italian Library Network), Editor of the journal Biblioteche Oggi , as well as collaborator in various journals and publishing activities. The numerous writings of Luigi Crocetti, published throughout his professional life, register punctually the evolution of libraries and librarian profession in times of major technological, cultural and social changes. Nevertheless Crocetti’s writings are not only an historical record of a perceptive (and committed) observer; they also constitute a collection of profound reflections and inspiring input for further discussion on the role of libraries and of culture in the society. Gifted with uncommon erudition, Crocetti shows an extraordinary ability to interpret the current reality and for see the future with a remarkable farsightedness. His writings touch on all aspects of the profession, from book preservation and restoration to public libraries, from cataloguing and indexing to library cooperation and networking, from national libraries, archives and museums, to user services. It is quite evident that Crocetti is aiming to an audience far beyond librarians, to include policy makers, managers, intellectuals and all those who have contact with libraries; in a final analysis he addresses to all citizens, being convinced that "culture is for everyone" and that “libraries must by their nature be deeply immersed in the overall cultural flow”. Innovation and renovation of the professional mentality are recurrent themes in the writings of Crocetti. The Author - fully aware of the international debate and attentive to technological change - identified in the progressive loss of contact between libraries and cultural tradition one of the weak points of the Italian librarianship. According to his view, this situation emphasized the ‘bureaucratization’ of libraries and librarians, which is a major cause of the erosion of their intellectual function. "The Italian librarianship - notes bitterly Crocetti - is rich in the past and poor in tradition”. It is a controversial issue, like many others (too often passed over by the professional debate) highlighted by Crocetti in his writing with clarity and equilibrium, like the true intellectual he was, able to rise above the interests of their own sector, but also capable of representing the aspiration to renew the librarian profession in the global dimension of our times.

En els darrers vint anys la informació en línia ha esdevingut un factor decisiu per a l’activitat acadèmica i de recerca, i en conseqüència els recursos electrònics s’han anat “apropiant” progressivament d’una part cada vegada més important dels pressupostos de les biblioteques. La contractació dels recursos electrònics ha anat assumint una posició determinant en l’economia dels serveis bibliotecaris, a mesura que les publicacions en paper han anat perdent terreny davant les publicacions digitals. S’estima que les biblioteques universitàries italianes – malgrat no estar a l’avantguarda en aquest sector – inverteixen des de ja fa alguns anys més de la meitat dels seus pressupostos en l’adquisició de recursos electrònics. Com és sabut, el desenvolupament del mercat de la informació digital ha empès les biblioteques a associar-se en organitzacions i consorcis, fins i tot en aquells contextos tradicionalment reticents a la cooperació. El mètode cooperatiu es considera un element resolutiu dins el món de la informació electrònica i els consorcis són l’instrument organitzatiu més adient per tal que aquest enfocament sigui eficaç. En els darrers anys els consorcis han empès la seva iniciativa més enllà de les adquisicions i les negociacions de les llicències electròniques, per a invertir en els àmbits de l’accés obert, de la preservació digital, del data mining, de la gestió col·lectiva dels documents en paper, dels sistemes de gestió bibliotecària (ILS i eines de descoberta), de les plataformes d’accés, i molts altres. Més recentment ha sorgit una major disposició per part dels consorcis per a col·laborar amb altres organitzacions que treballen en diversos aspectes de l’àmbit de la comunicació científica i en la gestió i avaluació de la recerca (agències de finançament de la recerca, editorials, empreses de tecnologies de la informació, etc.) per tal de fer front a les noves necessitats de les biblioteques destinades a ampliar la seva intervenció més enllà del seu perímetre tradicional.

This article discusses current developments on e-resources in European academic libraries. In particular, several cooperation programmes on e-licensing, e-books and open access are analysed, with a view to identifying organisational models and trends. This article deals with the amplified strategic role of library consortia and their collaborative initiatives with different stakeholders in academic communication (authors, publishers, aggregators, users).

ICOLC (International Coalition of Library Consortia) è un’organizzazione world wide (non profit) cui aderiscono 200 consorzi per l’acquisizione e gestione di risorse elettroniche. Nata circa 15 anni or sono, ICOLC organizza due meeting annuali: in Nord America, in primavera, e in Europa, in autunno. Quest’anno il meeting si è svolto a Vienna, presso la facoltà di legge (Juridicum), con circa 90 partecipanti (per la maggior parte responsabili di consorzi e di programmi di cooperazione). Il programma si è articolato in numerose sessioni (alcune in parallelo) su argomenti di stringente attualità, offrendo un panorama dei programmi di acquisizione e gestione delle risorse elettroniche di vari paesi in Europa, Asia e America. Quali i trend del mercato dell’informazione? Come reagiscono i consorzi e le biblioteche all’irruenza dell’editoria accademica commerciale? Quali strategie adottare per far fronte alle restrizioni imposte dalla crisi? Sono queste le principali questioni su cui si è dipanato il dibattito, spesso vivace e a tratti appassionante, che qui cercherò di riassumere evidenziando i punti che mi paiono di maggiore interesse.

The paper reports and comments the main issues and trends in library services and cooperation discussed at the OCLC EMEARC 3rd Annual Meeting, Birmingham, 28-29 February, 2012.

Libraries have always been considered the places for accessing and preserving our written memory. Access and preservation are a constant role of libraries during ages, so the library as institution developed, changed and evolved in order to adapt themselves to ever changing social and cultural contexts.

The article reports about the 12th European Meeting of ICOLC (International Coalition of Library Consortia). The author describes the European electronic information resources purchasing context in time of economic crisis, that is different among countries but has financial cuts for universities funds in common. The general trend moves towards a revision of licensing policies (more attention to archiving policies, perpetual access, and so on). Moreover, the stress is put on digital preservation, acquisition policies, and strategies to face financial cuts and new contracts with vendors.

IFLA Milan 2009 fell on the 80th anniversary of the First World Congress of Libraries and Bibliography held in Italy in 1929. This is rightly considered the first IFLA General Conference. By a strange twist of fate, both events coincided with two of the biggest economic crises in human history. As attested by recent research, during the Great Depression US libraries played an important social and cultural role; and the professional dedication and solidarity of librarians in these circumstances were widely appreciated. This article highlights the difficult situation of Italian cultural institutions (including education and research), due to widespread political insensitivity in ruling elites and drastic budgets cuts adopted by the current Government. Nevertheless history shows that even the most difficult moments can trigger virtuous mechanisms to foster positive consequences. IFLA Milan 2009 is an opportunity for an open discussion of the new role of libraries, in a more advanced prospective based on common values of peace and progress.

The preservation of digital collections is part of the wider and complex issue of long-term curation and transmission of cultural heritage. This involves a variety of technological, political and social considerations. This paper analyses the perception of the archiving and preservation of digital publications in academic libraries in Europe and the USA, including policies and practices developed in the current transition phase. Trends and emerging solutions, and their organisational impact on libraries, are discussed with special consideration of issues of cultural diversity and pluralism, which are crucial to the mission of libraries.

Digital preservation is a vast and complex issue which involves many aspects and areas of expertise. This paper is rather limited in scope and seeks to develop considerations concerning three questions: the first investigates how the problem of archiving and preservation of electronic journals is perceived by academic libraries, while the second concerns the organizational practices implemented in this area; I conclude with a comparison between the traditional approach and the emerging models of work flow for library activities in this area.